


Sunflower

by BelleEyre



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bossy Ben Solo, Bullying, Cousins, Dominant Ben Solo, Engagement, F/M, First Kiss, Han Solo is a shit, High School, Jealousy, Jyn and Cassian are Rey's parents, Kylo is a horse, Orphan Rey (Star Wars), Pets, Protective Ben Solo, Rating May Change, Rey and Ben aren't technically related, Rey loves animals, Second Kiss, Set in Louisiana, Southern Skywalkers/Solos, and they love her, kissing cousins, rey likes it, she's basically a Disney Princess, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:14:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23115298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleEyre/pseuds/BelleEyre
Summary: “You were barely a month old when your parents came to Skywalker with you, and I decided then and there that I was going to take care of you.”Rey fought a smile. Uncle Han had told her the story a million times. “You were six.”Ben nodded and pulled her into a hug. “I meant it then, and I mean it now.”--When Raegan Erso-Andor is orphaned at the age of ten, she's taken in by her aunt and uncle. Their son, Ben Solo, her favourite person in the world, is the best part about it ...even IF he's going to marry Luke's spoiled daughter, Lydia.
Relationships: Ben Solo/Original Female Character(s), Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso, Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Phasma & Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 15
Kudos: 45





	1. We Need To Talk About Rey

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friend Tina who made the banner, which I can only hope I inserted correctly...

_“What are we going to do with her? Luke-"_

_“I can’t take her, Leia. I have my daughter to worry about, and without Gwen-”_

_“Oh for God’s sake Luke-”_

_“I LOST MY WIFE!”_ Luke Skywalker’s fist collided with a table. _“I have Lydia to care for. I’m far too old to look after a young child.”_

At the top of the stairs, ten-year-old Raegan Andor sat hidden from view. She listened hard as the three Skywalker siblings argued over what to do with her. They didn't want her. Rey closed her eyes tight and wished hard for her parents to come back for her. If only wishing made it so. They were in heaven now, like uncle Luke’s wife, Gwendoline. 

_“Well, if you’d gone to the airport instead of sending your lush of a wife, she and Raegan’s parents might still be alive, Luke!”_

_“_ **_Amilyn!!!_ ** _”_

_“It’s true, Leia! You know it is!”_

Rey’s small frame shuddered as she remembered that night nearly two weeks ago. Her attention shifted to the dull ache in her left arm. It was nothing compared to the pain in her chest. It was nothing compared to the hole losing her parents had left. Sometimes she wanted to smash the cast, smash her whole arm just to feel a different sort of pain for once. She was lucky, they’d told her. She didn’t feel lucky. How could a girl who had lost her parents be lucky? She had escaped with minor injuries, but mama, daddy, and aunt Gwen had died. She wasn’t _lucky_.

A loud whistle interrupted the argument still carrying on downstairs. 

_“I’ve had about enough of you three.”_ Came the gruff voice of uncle Han. Rey smiled a little, despite her tears. She loved uncle Han. He was nice to her, and didn’t treat her like she was troublesome even when she was. _“Now, it’s pretty obvious that Leia and I will take Rey.”_

 _"Han, Raegan is only ten._ ” Leia sounded weary. _“Ben is enough to handle as it is-”_

 _"Don’t look at me. He’s_ **_your_ ** _son. Rey is my little brother’s daughter."_

Rey smiled a little at uncle Han’s insistence on calling her by the nickname daddy had given her. She liked her name, but the short form had stuck. Besides that, she associated ‘Raegan’ with aunt Leia’s disapproving face now. When she heard her full name, Raegan Hana Andor she knew she was in trouble. Her only consolation was that Ben got his full name shouted at him at least once a day. 

_“Step-brother. And don’t you start with that ‘your son’ business, Han. He’s as much yours as he is mine, whether you get along or not.”_

_“Yeah yeah,”_ Han grumbled back. _“And what would_ ** _he_** _think of you trying to pass that little girl off to some strangers, huh princess? She stays here.”_

_“We're too busy to take on someone that young, Han!”_

_“You say that like she’s four!”_

Rey stood and tiptoed back to her room where she climbed into the window seat. She stared out the window at the neat green lawn of the Skywalker estate. It was her Aunt’s home, and now it could be hers too if aunt Leia didn’t send her away. Rey had visited Skywalker with her parents every summer and Christmas since she was a baby. Now it felt like a stranger’s home. Or it would, without uncle Han and her favorite cousin, Ben. Rey missed her home in Oxfordshire England - it wasn’t that she disliked Louisiana, but it wasn’t _home_.

Still, it was better than going to the orphanage like Lydia said she would. At least, she hoped she wouldn’t end up at the orphanage... Why didn’t aunt Leia want her? She tried to be good, tried to respect her elders, and she never had tantrums! Even Ben still did that and he was sixteen! Was it because she had sneaked out for a ride on Ben’s stallion, Kylo? No one ever would have known if she hadn't fallen off and torn her new dress, and on Christmas Eve, at that. Aunt Leia had threatened to spank her after the incident but Jyn, Rey’s mama, had stood up to the matriarch.

Now mama was gone forever, and so was daddy and Aunt Gwendoline. Rey had always liked Aunt Gwen even though she'd always seemed sad. Even so, she'd been a lot nicer than Leia, Luke or Amilyn. Uncle Luke wasn’t all that bad, but he was grumpy, she supposed. Now that he’d lost his wife, Rey knew it would be worse. Lydia didn’t seem to miss aunt Gwen the way Rey missed her parents. She had Luke, but she’d still lost her mother. Was it because she was older than Rey? At fifteen, Lydia was practically grown. Rey wished she was grown up too. If she were, surely it wouldn’t hurt quite so much. 

As Rey stared out the window, she saw Lydia and Ben walk hand in hand to the old oak tree. Lydia looked like Cinderella in her blue dress, her blonde hair swept over one shoulder. As Lydia leaned against the tree and played with her hair, Ben leaned in to kiss her. Rey’s eyes widened and her stomach knotted awfully like she'd eaten too many sweets. 

Ben had always been Rey's favorite cousin. Lydia, her _least_ favorite, loved to remind her that they weren’t actually family. Rey didn’t belong. Her parents hadn’t, either. Ben had always been there, though, ready to wrestle with her or take her riding. Now that Ben was nearly a man, he spent all his time with Lydia. It hurt, but Rey had never felt more alone than she did at that moment, watching them kiss.

Rey watched as Ben and Lydia sat on the small bench under the tree, their hands still clasped together. Ben had gotten a lot bigger in the past year and Lydia looked small sitting beside him. 

Aunt Leia said Ben looked like grandpa Anakin more and more every day. Rey had only ever seen pictures of him, so she couldn’t say for sure. To her, Ben looked like Han the most, but she was sure he would drown her if she said so to his face. 

Rey knew she didn’t look like the Skywalkers or Solos - she looked like an Erso with a dash of Andor as daddy used to say. Daddy was uncle Han’s step-brother and Rey knew that aunt Leia hadn’t liked him or mama very much.

Without her parents, Rey had no real connection to the Skywalkers. She was a nobody. A clumsy little nobody who couldn’t even reach for her milk at dinner without knocking it over. Lydia often called her a ‘retard’ but Rey’s mama had told her never to listen to name-calling, so she tried her best not to. Mama also said she would grow out of her clumsiness. Rey hoped it was soon.

The only time Rey knew she wasn't clumsy was when she was on a horse. Well, she had fallen off Kylo, but she was only used to her pony, Threepio. Kylo was much too fat to get a decent grip on with her short legs. Usually, she stuck to the saddle like a bur stuck to a hound, that's what Chewie said. He took care of all the horses at Skywalker, so he should know. 

Rey loved riding more anything. It made her feel like she was flying. 

That was one good part about living with aunt Leia; she would be able to ride every day. Chewie could teach her how to stay on the bigger horses then. But, the very best part was that Ben lived here, too, and she'd see him every day. As she thought this, Ben looked up towards the window she currently sat in and smiled, giving her a little wave. Rey smiled back, but it faded in an instant when her eyes slid over Lydia, who was giving her a sour look. Ben noticed this and seemed to tell her off for it. Like always, Lydia batted her eyes and pressed her chest against his arm. Rey was the one frowning now. 

Sighing, she got up and went to her bed, where she hummed herself to sleep to keep the tears from spilling. 

She woke sometime later as her bed shifted under someone's weight. A warm, large hand rubbed over her back. 

Once again, Rey was fighting tears. “Ben.” She whispered. 

His voice was low and gentle as he spoke. “I know, sunflower.”

Rey turned over and scrambled into his lap, where he held her tight and let her cry as he smoothed his hand through her knotted hair. 

She was a little pest most of the time, Ben thought with no small amount of fondness. She was just ten and had a clear case of puppy love for him. It felt good to love and be loved by someone so unconditionally. Selfishly, he hoped he would always remain her favorite person. At least until she got married. His heart warmed even further as a vision presented itself in his mind. Rey, as a woman. Rey in a white dress, her hand on his arm as he walked her down the aisle to the man she would marry. Perhaps he might have children of his own by then. He imagined Lydia and her belly swollen with their child one day. And it _would_ happen, one day. Both he and Lydia knew it. Knew that someday they would be man and wife. 

The idea thrilled him. Lydia was beautiful. She looked like a princess, with her sleek honey hair and dark blue eyes. Her features were perfect, her skin flawless...

He returned his attention to Rey, patting her hair. 

“Uncle Han says I’ll be living here.” she sniffed. “But I don’t think aunt Leia wants that.”

Anger flooded through him and he held her tighter. Damn that woman. “Nonsense. She’s very sad right now, Rey, and she doesn’t know how to deal with things. She loves you.”

Rey looked up at him with doubt in her hazel eyes. They were mostly green now, fox-like and huge. She was the only person in their family who had those eyes. 

"Really?" she asked now in her little British accent. Another thing, he knew, that made her feel like she didn’t fit in. A sunflower in a rose garden. His little sunflower. A nickname he’d given to her as a baby that she would permit only him to use.

"Would I lie to you, sunflower?” he asked.

Rey’s little nose twitched. “I suppose not.”

Ben kissed her forehead and hugged her again. “Have you eaten?”

“A little.”

He sighed. “Rey, you have to eat. You don’t want to get sick, do you?”

“No.” her voice wobbled a bit, “I … I don’t like eating at the table.”

Ben knew why, of course. Leia could be harsh about her table manners and Lydia could be meaner than cat shit. “Would you like me to bring you something?”

She tensed in his arms. “No! Don’t leave. Please.” 

“Shh.” He soothed, “Alright. But Rey, promise me you’ll come downstairs with me after dinner. We’ll eat together.” 

Rey agreed, but it wasn’t long before she was asleep again. 


	2. How To Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my friend Tina for the banner.

The moment Rey had dreaded since the age of twelve had finally come.

Ben’s proposal to Lydia held no shock to anyone. Far from it, in fact. The engagement had been pending for a long time, but naively, and perhaps more than a little self-deceptively, Rey fooled herself into thinking she was prepared. Big surprise, she wasn’t. 

When Ben and Lydia returned from their date in the city with the joyous news, Lydia gushed and preened as she presented her gaudy engagement ring to everyone in the house. 

Jack lifted his head at all the commotion, letting out a soft boofing sound before laying his head back on his paws. Rey patted the dog absentmindedly as she listened to Leia’s praise and Amilyn’s excitement from her hidden nook in the library. A quick escape upstairs to feign sleep before Ben inevitably came to share the news seemed like the best course of action. Jack followed, beating her to the bed and hogging half of it. Rey eyed the dog fondly as she climbed into the bed and curled up next to him. “Aunt Leia would eat you for breakfast if she saw you right now.”  
  
Jack yawned and flopped over onto his side. A few moments later, a bell tinkled and another weight joined the already crowded bed. Rey lifted her head as the white cat curled itself behind her knees, purring. “Hi Cosette.” 

While Jack was her dog, a gift from Ben on her first birthday spent at Skywalker without her parents, Cosette belonged to Lydia. The cat didn’t seem to know that, though. She always seemed to find her way into Rey’s room for naps. Rey smiled to herself as she remembered a teeny-tiny Cosette, ready to fight the rambunctious puppy twice her size when Lydia had first brought her home. Uncle Han said Leia had gained a new white hair for each of them.

Up to that point, there had been no pets in the house and Leia tried to keep it that way, but Ben had nearly razed the house to the ground when Leia tried to take Jack from a sobbing Rey on her 11th birthday, barely ten minutes after the pup had been gifted to her. It was the first battle Leia had truly lost. When Lydia brought home a kitten barely a week later, Leia was less cross about it.

Nearly half an hour ticked by with no sign of Ben, and ridiculously, Rey was almost offended. Then she heard the shouting. 

Ben and Uncle Han were at it again. 

Rey climbed over the animals, pointing at Jack as he lifted his head, “Stay.”

Quiet as a mouse she slipped down the back stairs and settled on the fourth step to listen to the argument taking place on the other side of the wall. Her little eavesdropping habit found her in trouble more than once, but she almost never did it on purpose. Almost.

From what she could make of it, Han had made it known that he wasn’t thrilled with the news. Unsurprisingly, it set Ben off.

“Look, kid. I ain’t saying don’t get married if that’s what you want.”  
“ _That’s exactly what you fucking said!_ ”  
“I said you’ll regret it. There’s a difference.” 

Rey smothered a laugh against her palm.  
  
“Speaking from experience, dad?” Ben snarled. 

Han just sighed. “No, son. I never regretted marrying your mother. But if I had married someone else, I would have.”

“ _What the fuck does that even mean!_ ”

Ben’s accusatory, aggressive tone painted a clear picture in Rey’s mind of him hunched and snarling, like a feral dog guarding its meal.

“It means,” a clinking sound as a drink was poured, “I didn’t marry the first woman to catch my eye.” 

“No, you just married a fucking nineteen-year-old in your thirties!”  
  
“It happens, son.”

Rey rolled her eyes. Ben marrying someone so close to her own age was even worse than him marrying Lydia. And Lydia was quite possibly the finest instrument of Satan on earth.

  
When Leia’s shouted rebuke joined the conversation, Rey returned to her room with the knowledge that if nothing else, Ben would marry Lydia to spite his father.

Come morning, her mission to avoid Ben and his thrilling news had her out the door first thing, bypassing the kitchen completely when she heard the other women in the house speaking of wedding plans over breakfast. Hiding in the stables, she finished her homework and shared a few freshly pulled carrots with Jack and Kylo before Rose arrived to pick her up for school. Ben would catch up to her, eventually. Until then, Rey wouldn’t seek him out intentionally.

Chatter around the house that morning informed her that the wedding was already set for next summer by Leia and Lydia. Barely a year before Ben would leave Skywalker to build a home with Lydia. 

Needless to say, Rey’s first day back to school after the summer break was unbalanced, and she was anxious. Not that she showed it; over the years she had become the master of looking indifferent. Thick skin meant survival. 

Rose Tico, ever her opposite, was chipper and chatty as ever. Rey didn’t mind the constant buzz, but she barely heard it.. 

".... for the band, but I think I'll wear red because Finn likes that colour on- HEY! What are you gonna wear?"

Case in point.

Rey allowed herself to be pulled from her morose musings and turned to her friend. "What?"

Rose rolled her eyes impatiently. "To Poe's _party?_ Kadie, us, and Finn are the only sophomores invited!!"

“Of course Kade’s invited, Rose. She’s his sister.”  
“Not the point!”

“Well, I don’t understand the point of a back to school party. Isn’t that like an oxymoron or something?”

The shorter girl waved her off and asked again what she planned on wearing. 

"I don't know?” Rey shrugged, “what do I usually wear?"

" _Oh my GOD_ , Rey. You can't just wear a ratty ass hoodie to Poe Dameron's back to school party!!!"

Rey was about to tell her that she stole the hoodie from Ben years ago and it was her favourite but thought the better of it. She _did not_ need another lecture about Ben that would inevitably turn back to Poe Dameron. 

"We're going shopping," Rose announced, grabbing her by the arm before she could do a runner. Rose knew her too well.

Rey allowed herself to be pulled towards the car, listening as Rose called her sister and guardian, Paige, to tell her she wouldn’t be home til at least nine. Maybe the older Tico would put a damper on Rose's shopping trip extravaganza idea, and then Rey could go home and think of creative ways to not get caught staring at Ben. 

Soon after settling into her seat, however, that hope was cruelly dashed. Realising she'd been kidnapped, Rey accepted her grim fate with a sigh, and fished out her own phone. She would have to warn Ben. So much for her plan of avoidance. 

He picked up on the second ring. "Rey?"

She put all the false cheer she could fit into her voice. "Hi, Ben! I-"

A song about gold diggers began blaring as Rose started the car, making Rey jump.

"Where the hell are you?" His voice was slightly suspicious, and a lot concerned; she rolled her eyes. He worried like a bloody mother-hen.

Putting her left hand against her free ear to drown out the music, she replied, "Car. Can you cover for me? I'll be home by nine."

Silence. Then, "I asked you a question, Rey."

"I’m with Rose. She’s taking me shopping." She didn't bother to hide her annoyance about that.

"Shopping?” Ben snorted, “you hate shopping." 

"I DO! But she’s kidnapped me, and I'm being subjected to crap radio and my own wounded pride at being bullied by a four-foot ball or rage."  
  
“I HEARD THAT,” Rose shouted over the music.

Ben coughed out a laugh, and Rey couldn't fight her smile. Ben Solo laughing was not a common occurrence.

After a moment, he relented. "Fine. But no later than 9, Rey. I'll be waiting; we need to talk."

Oh, for... ugh.

"I will. Thanks. See you later!"

"Have fun, Sunflower."

"I will _not._ "

Ben laughed again and Rey smiled as she ended the call.

She _would not_ have fun. Especially since Rose had suggested, they find something 'sexy' for Rey to wear so Poe might ask her out. How many times had they been over this? Rey didn't want a boyfriend, especially not Poe Dameron. She tried explaining this again, but as usual, Rose's excitement at the prospect of her best friend dating a cool older guy couldn't be reigned in. 

At 9 on the dot, Rey crept into the house through the back door, hoping to hell she didn't run into Ben. She did not want to have _that_ talk. She also didn’t want anyone to see her right now. Rose had talked her into getting her eyebrows waxed for the first time after their shopping trip, and the redness was still visible. Rey had been assured the redness would be gone by morning, at least, but with her luck, she would spend the entire week with a forehead like a baboon's arse.

She quickly climbed the stairs with her bags and a book Rose had insisted she read. 

"Get back here." 

The deep voice startled Rey, and she spun around, wide-eyed. Ben stood at the entrance to the kitchen, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Dammit. “I’m tired, Ben, can this wait?” 

“ _Rey._ ” 

_Dammit._ She walked back down and stopped a few feet from him, hoping the shadows would hide her ridiculous predicament. “You’re so bossy." She muttered.

Ben smirked at her. “Yes, I am.” He nodded toward her bags. “Enjoy your shopping trip?”  
“Not really, but, Rose insisted I get something for the party tomorrow night.”  
“Party?”  
“It’s a back to school thing.”  
Ben hummed, nodding at the bags again, “You gonna show me?”  
“Nope.”

Those dark eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

She really needed to distract him or he’d see the dress and burn it. “What did you want to talk about?” 

Ben gestured to a plate of food he'd set out for them to share. “Sit."

Putting her bags next to the stool, Rey sat, eyeing the chicken creole in front of her. It looked delicious, but she didn’t want to make herself sick by eating while her stomach was tight with stress. "I had some chip- sorry, fries, with Rose."

Rey tried not to stare at the way the white button-up shirt stretched across Ben's shoulders as he leaned over the counter onto his forearms. He pinned her with that stare and she swallowed. "What else have you eaten today?"

Rey exhaled sharply. Ben had a tendency to worry about her eating habits. An episode when she first began her schooling in the States had seen to that. It’d been a private school, and Rey hadn't adapted well. Bullying and snobbery had caused her to stop regularly eating due to the never-ending anxiety she felt. Eventually, after she began looking noticeably ill, Ben cornered her and got her to tell him everything. That night he put his foot down and demanded Leia put her in a different school and after one hell of a fight, she'd relented, agreeing to put Rey into public school. There, she'd met Rose, Finn, and Kadie. 

That was seven years ago, and Ben still got on her back if she missed even one meal. Why did he insist on acting like a concerned brother? Rey reminded herself then that he probably saw himself as just that. She rolled her eyes. "I had a sandwich at lunch." 

"Is that all--” He stopped speaking abruptly and squinted. "Rey, what the fuck happened to your face?"

Dropping her head onto her folded arms, Rey groaned loudly before lifting her head again to look at Ben. "After we were done shopping Rose took me to the salon where we were tortured with wax. I look ridiculous."

"No, no, you look fine," Ben smothered a laugh and cleared his throat. "The redness won't last forever. Lydia gets all that shit done regularly."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Not helping."

"About Lydia-"

"You're getting married? I know, Ben."

"You know things aren't going to change? You'll always be my best girl."

"I don't believe you. But, congratulations, Ben. I know you've been planning this for a while."

Reaching out, he caught her chin and lifted it, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Don't pout, sunflower. You don't think I would leave you here alone to contend with the old battleax, do you?"

Rey looked away, biting her lip. "I mean… isn't that the point? Starting a life, officially, with Lydia? With your own house and... and... things?" She looked back up when there was no answer, just in time to catch the dark look Ben wore. "Ben?"

Ben dropped his hand and took a few steps back, picking up his coffee cup. "We're staying here at Skywalker, at least for the time being."

"Why?"

"I just told you, sunflower." Ben took a sip of his coffee. 

Rey really had no idea how he could drink it so late and still go to bed. One sip past 5 and Rey was bouncing off the walls until two in the morning. She scoffed and crossed her arms. "You cannot be serious." 

"As a heart attack."

"I'm not a child that needs protecting anymore, Ben." It wasn’t her intention to snap, but the idea of Ben postponing his life to look after his burden of a little cousin didn't sit well. Lydia would-- Lydia. "What does your fiancee think of this?"

"Lydia doesn't get a say."

Rey raised her eyebrows at that. "Love, honour, and obey, huh?"

Those dark eyes held no trace of humour as he replied, "If she knows what's good for her."

A shiver worked its way down Rey's spine at his tone. Sometimes, she forgot how ruthless Ben could be when it came to getting his way despite growing up watching the battle of wills raging between the family matriarch and her iron-willed son. If Leia rarely won these days, Lydia had no chance. "You don't have to--"

"It's not open for discussion, sunflower."

The surge of anger she felt was accompanied by an uncomfortable heat in her belly, the sort that refused to go away until she buried her hand between her thighs and-

"Are you alright? I didn’t mean to upset you-"

"It's not that." She muttered. "Just… I don't like feeling like a burden and I-"

"Don't," Ben said, quiet but firm. "Don't _ever_ say that."

God Almighty, did he have to be so… Ben? She needed to go before she embarrassed herself. Rey picked up her shopping bags and started backing out of the room. "I'm tired. Goodnight, Ben."

Ben sighed in frustration but didn't argue with her. "Goodnight, sunflower."

Running up the stairs like Satan poked her backside with his pitchfork, Rey greeted Jack and a dozing Cosette before throwing her shopping bags into the closet and yanking her clothes off to get in the shower. It would be useless to get herself worked up and pissed off - there was no point. Once Ben made up his mind, that was it.

Half an hour later, she was squished into the already occupied bed with the book Rose had foisted upon her. It was some vampire love story that Rose hadn’t shut up about since she bought it.

Rey regretted everything by 3 am. 

The book was impossible to put down. It was far from the best book she'd ever read, but it was oddly addicting. Rey supposed it was because she could relate to this Bella Swan character, and her obsession with the beautiful, untouchable guy. Unlike Rey's own hopeless situation, though, Bella’s love was returned tenfold. What must _that_ be like? Ugh. For now, she would have to settle for living vicariously through one Miss Swan.

By 4 am, Rey _had_ managed to put the book down, albeit unwillingly, when it fell from her hand as sleep finally took her. She dreamt of Ben, as usual. 

In the end, Rey managed to get about two hours of sleep before her alarm went off. She sat up, ready to crawl from the bed like a zombie when she noticed the smell. Blinking sleepily at her end table, she saw the large cup of coffee and a plate of toast with apple jelly waiting for her. Her book had also been picked up and placed beside her bedside lamp. Rey blushed, her chest warming. Somehow, Ben knew she would need the extra kick this morning. Thank God for Ben.

Picking up the cup, she took a huge gulp of the still-hot coffee. He must’ve brought it just before her alarm went off. When the coffee was gone, Rey ate her toast solely because Ben had made it, though obviously she shared the corners with Jack. She had to admit; she felt better after eating. Still, it was going to be a long day. Perhaps she would pass out after lunch and avoid having to go to Poe's party at all. 

After dressing in jeans and a band t-shirt she stole from Ben, she took her dishes downstairs, washed and put them away. Maz had enough to do. 

Rose’s car pulled up twenty minutes later and Rey steeled herself for the assault as she climbed in.

“Morning!” Rose exclaimed happily, handing her another coffee, this time from a shop in town. Rey took it gratefully with a small smile. She would need approximately ten more to survive the day. “Thanks.” 

“Did you read the book?”

“I... managed half before I passed out.”

“And?”  
“And... it’s very... engrossing.” She scrunched her nose. “I got like two hours of sleep ‘cause I lost track of time.”

“I told you! Wait till you read the sequel! It just came out this month.”

One book was bad enough. Rey would never sleep again at this rate.

“You know,” Rose said slyly, “you could totally have a romance like that with Poe.”

Jesus Christ. The image of Poe Dameron sneaking into her room to watch her sleep almost had her choking on her drink. She doubted he would make it that far before Han or Ben shot him in the ass.

“Uh, no thanks.”

“And how was your first day back to school, Raegan?" 

Rey froze at Amilyn’s question, fork halfway to her mouth. "Um-"

"Don't use crutch words." Amilyn admonished, always looking for something to criticise. 

The seventeen-year-old swallowed and put down her fork. "Yesterday was the first day, Aunt Amilyn."

Amilyn waved her hand dismissively "Have you met many boys? You're old enough for a boyfriend."

At this, Lydia's mocking tinkle of laughter could be heard from across the table. Rey slid further down into her chair. "Our Raegan prefers farm animals to boys, Auntie. The boys share the sentiment, I'm sure."

Rey wasn’t sure it was intentional on his part but, she was grateful anyway when Uncle Han began talking about the repairs needed on Amilyn's car while weighing the advantages of fixing it himself against buying new. During this conversation, Lydia mentioned to Luke that she would like a new car, too, bored as she was with the Mercedes he had insisted on buying for her when she'd told him at least a thousand times she wanted a convertible. Something with style. As if her flashy engagement ring from Ben wasn't enough, Rey thought bitterly.

She turned seventeen in June and still didn't have a car, while Lydia had gotten her first car when she was sixteen. To be fair, Rey was a nightmare behind the wheel, forever getting lost in daydreams, and Aunt Leia had stated that for the safety of the citizens of Destrehan, it was best not to let her out on the road by herself. Rey wasn't too put out; she would rather ride a horse than drive around in a hunk of steel any day, but still, she couldn't resist commenting, "I want one of those Grand Pricks."

Aunt Amilyn's eyes rounded with horror as her fork dropped into her plate with a clatter. Uncle Han choked on his chicken salad, then began laughing helplessly. Luke just sighed.

"Young lady!" Aunt Leia's hand slammed against the table, and Rey flinched guiltily. Some might assume her mispronunciation of Grand Prix was the result of ignorance, but aunt Leia knew better. 

"Your behaviour is inexcusable," aunt Leia said icily, her brown eyes snapping. "Leave this table. This will be discussed later."

Rey slipped from her chair, cheeks hot with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, running from the room, but not fast enough to keep from hearing Lydia's malicious voice: " _Do you think she'll ever be housebroken enough to eat with people? Who wears a hoodie to the dinner table?_ "

"I'd rather be with the horses," Rey muttered, slamming the front door after Jack and herself. Taking a deep breath of the humid Louisiana air, Rey let the warmth of the low sun wash over her, and she calmed. A little. Just because she didn't prance and preen, and preferred jeans and converse to skirts and heels, she was, in Lydia's eyes, boyish and homely. 

Leaping from the porch to make her escape, Rey instead bounced right off of something solid. The scent of woodsy cologne and cigarette smoke (he would be in so much trouble with Leia) told her it wasn't Chewy. Large hands caught her before she could tumble onto her backside. "Ben!"

Clad in a smart black business suit, Ben looked like the definition of "Tall, Dark, and Handsome.” Rey was reminded (again) why puberty had been such a nightmare for her, having to share a house (substantial as it may be) with Ben and his… everything.

Ben's dark eyes glittered under his furrowed brows. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" 

Rey crossed her arms. "The stables." At least until Rose showed up to help her get ready for the party.

Ben glanced at his watch, then back at her. "It's dinnertime if my watch is correct. Why aren't you eating?"

"Because I hate chicken salad." 

"That's no excuse, Rey. You could have asked Maz to fix you something." 

She shrugged. "I was sent from the table before I could eat anything, anyway."

Ben’s jaw clenched. "Why?" 

Rey looked away sheepishly. "There was some discussion about cars... and I um… told Uncle Han that I wanted one of those Grand Pricks.."

Ben coughed around a laugh before going serious again. "Mom wasn't amused, I assume."

"Nope. Uncle Han laughed, though." When she looked back at his face, the look in his warm brown eyes told her what was coming. "I ate lunch." she added before he could say anything, “and breakfast. Thank you.”

“You were up late.” Ben intoned disapprovingly. 

“I was reading.”  
“I saw. Good book?”

She nodded and inched away before he could ask her what it was about. Discussing romance with Ben was not on her list of things to do today. She was already exhausted. At the thought, Rey yawned and hoped Rose wouldn’t keep her out too late. Leia and Han were attending some fundraiser, so they wouldn’t notice she was gone until at least midnight. 

“I was just going to see Kylo, so....” She pointed in the general direction of the stables. “See ya later.”

Rey made it three steps before Ben snagged her shirt in his fist and hauled her back up the steps. 

“Hey!” Rey dug her heels in, but it was no use. It was like trying to move a particularly stubborn horse. Like Kylo. “Ben, it’s fine. I’ll eat with Rose later.”

He gave her a look. “You’re not leaving the house without having dinner.”

Everyone at the table looked on with varying degrees of amusement (except Leia, who looked annoyed) as Rey was dragged past the dining room like a sack of potatoes. 

She growled when she was lifted and plopped onto a stool by the counter. “I’m not five!”  
  
Ben ignored her completely as he rummaged through the fridge. Rey debated running off, but knew he would follow and drag her back. So there she sat, watching him heat up some leftover stew and slice some of Maz’s bread. A few minutes later, he placed the soup bowl and plate of bread in front of her, and then sat across from her. He was going to watch her eat. Oh lovely. “Eat.”

Rey wanted to be stubborn, but she knew better. There was no winning when Ben was like this. And she _was_ hungry. Fine. She plucked a slice of buttered bread from the plate and dipped it in her stew. To her own surprise, Rey ended up eating the entire bowl, plus two slices of bread. Once again, she felt better for it, but she wasn’t about to tell Ben that. Rey put down her spoon and looked at Ben. “Happy?”

Ben looked smug, and it made her want to throw the empty bowl at his head. “Can I go see Kylo now?” She snapped.

He nodded once, still looking far too pleased with himself. “Be my guest.”

Rey was leaning against the stable feeding Kylo an apple when the horse’s ear twitched and his huge head swung to her left. She turned to find Ben watching them. He’d changed from his work clothes to jeans and a grey v-neck t-shirt. 

“Don’t be mad, sunflower.” Ben implored quietly. Rey shivered. “You’ve been stressed out for a while, Rey. I can’t stand the thought of you getting sick again.”

“I’m just tired and...” She said. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at me.”

Large, hot hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around. “Why?”

God, how was she supposed to look into those dark, pleading eyes and talk at the same time? “You shouldn’t have to worry about me, Ben. I can’t let myself depend on you. I’m almost an adult and-”

“Sunflower,” Ben interrupted, “you can always depend on me.”  
  
Rey pulled away, shaking her head. “You’ll be married, soon. Your priorities are going to change. As they should. I’m stronger than you think.”

“I know you are. Look at me.”  
  
She did.  
  
“You were barely a month old when your parents came to Skywalker with you, and I decided then and there that I was going to take care of you.”  
  
Rey fought a smile. Uncle Han had told her the story a million times. “You were six.”

Ben nodded and pulled her into a hug. “I meant it then, and I mean it now.” 

Holding him tight, Rey took in his scent and the warmth that seemed to bleed into her very soul. “You’ll make a wonderful father, someday.” 

“Lydia doesn’t want kids.”  
  
Rey looked up with a furrowed brow. “And you’re okay with that?”  
  
He shrugged. “It’s probably for the best.”

Rey laughed. “I always imagined you with at least four.” She didn’t mention the fact that in her fantasies, she was their mother. 

Ben smirked and shook his head. “I prefer dogs anyway.”  
  
Liar, she wanted to say, but let it go. “Rose should be here soon.”

“Did you two ever come up with a name for your girl group?"

Rey stuck her tongue out and informed him that, yes, as a matter of fact, they had. "We're called _The Resistance_ , and we're not a girl group. We're a band." 

Ben tried to pat her on the head, and she batted him away, nose scrunched up in faux annoyance. She could never be annoyed with Ben touching her (even when he manhandled her into eating her dinner) but on principle, she was about to inform him for the millionth time that she was not five, when he asked, "When are you going to let me see you play?"

Over the summer, Rose and Finn had put together a rag-tag band to ease the boredom of small-town life. Besides them and Rey, it included Poe, his sister Kadie, and a sour-faced ginger called Hux, who wasn’t so bad once you got to know him. Sort of. Rey knew he only joined because of his big fat crush on Kadie. 

"Um, soon. We mostly do covers for now. I’ve written some stuff but,” She shrugged, “It’s not ready yet." Rey discovered a penchant for poetry when she had her first brush with teen angst at fourteen. Said angst was caused by witnessing a sweaty and shirtless Ben chopping wood. It was also the day her childhood crush turned into something else entirely.

For a moment, Ben looked perplexed. "I didn't know you wrote songs."

"You don't know _everything,_ Ben Solo," She teased.

Ben blinked, clearly unsure how to take this, then smiled. Rey lived and breathed for those smiles. "You be sure to let me know.."

She nodded. "I will. Soon."

“Ow!”

"Sit still!" Rose's voice was kind yet firm while she yanked Rey’s hair this way and that, her excited flow of chatter about the party never pausing.  
  
Easy for her. Rose was a social butterfly. Rey was anything but. She preferred animals. Rey side-eyed Jack as he watched her being primped with a tilted head. Cosette lounged in the window, catching the day's last light. The only reason Rey allowed herself to be talked into going to this party was to get Rose off her back. Still, Rey knew absolutely nothing about fashion or makeup so she was grateful for her friend’s presence. At least until the smaller girl pulled out a ten-pound makeup bag. "You've got to be joking."

"Get dressed, then we'll start on makeup."

The velveteen lilac mini dress was barely over her head when Rose said, "You should dance with Poe tonight."

"We're not talking about this again." Rey's tone was harsh, but she had told Rose repeatedly that she wasn't interested in Poe. Poe didn't seem to get the memo, either. He was persistent in his chase. He could have any girl but Rey's 'no' apparently translated to 'try harder'.

"Rey-"

" _Rose!"_

An hour and a half later, Rey barely recognised herself. Her hair was pulled back and the makeup Rose applied was subtle, but it made everything pop. Soon, it was time to leave and Rey focused on not falling off her monstrous metallic purple heels on her way down the stairs. They were almost out the front door when Ben’s voice stopped them dead. 

"What the fuck is that?"

Rey froze and Rose squeaked before her friend abandoned her to wait in the car. Slowly, Rey turned to face Ben, heart pounding furiously. Shit. SHIT. He wasn't supposed to be home until later. Did this mean Leia was home as well? Shit.

"What?" Rey asked, trying not to fidget in the uncomfortable silence. When she finally looked up, she saw that Ben had the look of a hamster that had flown off its wheel mid-spin. 

He blinked twice and stalked closer, his jaw clenched as he worked to control his temper. "I said, what the fuck is that?"

Rey took a step back, surprised by his sharp tone. "That was Rose."

"Don't fucking play with me, Rey." he growled, " _What are you wearing?_ "

That tone fuelled Rey's own temper. "I should think you would know a dress when you see one, Ben." 

Ben glared at her. "You're not leaving the house in that." 

"And just why the hell not?" she shot back. "I seem to recall your lovely fiancee wearing _a lot_ less when she was my age."

"That's different."

Rey scoffed now. "WHY?"

"Because it is!"

"I'm not the child that you and everyone else in this damn house seem to think I am!"

Ben’s lips tightened, and his eye twitched. "Go and change, Rey."

Already tired of this, Rey ignored Ben all together and turned to leave. He would never see her as an adult. A large hand closed around her upper arm, and she was spun back around swiftly enough to have her nearly tipping off her ridiculous shoes. 

"Don't walk away from me," Ben snapped.

Rey bared her teeth. "Let go." 

Those molten, black eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'll tell Leia."

"You bastard!"

"Careful, Rey." 

Rey swallowed tightly, feeling a bit too warm. She wasn't used to seeing this darker side of Ben, despite living under the same roof for nearly a decade. He'd had his fights with Han, and lovers' quarrels with Lydia, but none of that ire had ever been directed at Rey herself. Of all the things she would have imagined setting him off, a bloody dress was not on the list. 

The impulse hit her quickly, and for once, she spared no thought to deny it. Rey kissed him hard, her efforts sloppy due to inexperience, but determined. She felt him freeze in shock and used it to her advantage. Ben needed to know she wasn't a child, and Rey needed to feel this, if only just once. Or at least, until she was shoved away. Ben backed away from her, his expression somewhere between angry and horrified. " _What the fuck?!_ " 

Oh, God. Had she really done that? "I- Ben, I'm sorry." 

What if he was so disgusted with her that he never forgave her? That would kill her. What had she been thinking?

Ben shook his head, putting a hand up as if to ward off further attacks. Rey almost laughed at that. 

"Don't ever do that again," Was all he said, then turned to go upstairs. Rey felt her eyes stinging with tears, but it was nothing compared to the sting in her chest - not that she had expected anything different. 

Rey went to the party, hoping it would distract her from the oncoming breakdown. It worked, sort of, but only because she didn't fancy blubbering her heart out in front of a hundred people. 

When Poe shoved a red cup filled with questionable contents into her hand, Rey took it gladly. When Poe asked her to dance two red cups later, she found herself agreeing. It wasn't... terrible. Rose was right; Rey needed to get over Ben.

Rey's first kiss had been a disaster, and her second... well, she wouldn't say it was better, Poe wasn't Ben, but he was gentle, and his lips were soft as they guided hers. Rey could learn to like it. By the time Rey arrived home, she'd been thoroughly kissed and had her first date lined up for the following night. She could get over Ben, even if it killed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting a Reylo fic. I hope the first chapter wasn't too awful. Feedback is greatly appreciated. xo.
> 
> My tumblr is belle-eyre.


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